Learning to Love Again: Revised Edition
by Calmer of the Storm
Summary: AU All is well at Odaiba high, untill a new kid shows up. Hikari doesn't see the big deal about him, until he begins prying into her past.
1. The New Kid

Calmer of the Storm: Hello again! I know it's been a little while, but, you know how it goes.

Cody: Excuses, excuses…

Calmer of the Storm: *glares at him* Anyways, this is a rewrite of my very first story. It will be longer, and I think, better. It may very well also be my last story…it depends on the response. It's hard being an author when you don't get a response…but, hey, it's for my enjoyment, right?

Cody: Pft…

Calmer of the Storm: *hits Cody on the head* Be quiet! I'm trying to speak…er, type here!

Cody: Ow! *storms out*

Calmer of the Storm: Fine! Be that way!….*smiles innocently* I do not own it…and I never will. Peace!

Hey Kari, wait up!" I a voice behind me said. 

"Oh, hi." I said as I turned and saw my purple-haired friend running after me. "So, you trying out for the play?" she asked me. 

I gave a weak smile, "Yeah, I figured I may as well." 

"Have you seen the new guy yet?" Miyako questioned. 

"I think I passed by him in the hall" I replied nonchalantly. I was amazed at how quickly and easily she could switch topics. That was just like her though. To tell you the truth, I never saw him. I fact, I didn't even know there was a new student. I only said this to keep her happy. I knew we'd be on that subject for days if I didn't. 

"You gotta admit, he's hot." she commented. I stopped. This is one conversation I was _definitely_ beginning to dislike. 

"Miyako…" I droned.

"What?" she asked innocently. Her expression then changed, "Speak of the devil, there he is."

I looked over, and I saw him. I had to admit, he had looks, but looks aren't everything. There was a swarm of girls around him, but I couldn't have cared less. I gave up on that kind of stuff a long time ago. Obviously, Miyako saw my reaction.

"Aw, c'mon Hikari. You can't stay like this forever", she told me. 

I smirked, "Watch me."  
  
I left the conversation at that. I did not want it to go any further. I think Miyako got my hint, as she said nothing more of the matter. Then, then bell rang for class, and the students dispersed into their respective classrooms. 

The day was long and uneventful, like most other school days. Finally, the end of the day bell rang. It had been a long day, and I was growing tired. There was still a little it more to go, and that was the auditions for the play. I headed to the auditorium, where the auditions were to take place. 

As I entered, I glanced around the room. I saw my friend Sakura there. She waved at me, and I went and sat by her. 

"Hey Kari", she greeted. 

"Hey," I said back, smiling.

We chatted for a few minutes, as did everyone else. There was a significant amount of students there, some I wasn't sure quite why, but I guess they deserved a shot anyways. All of a sudden, the chatter stopped. HE walked in. I really don't get why this was such a big deal for everyone. 

Sakura and I continued to talk. A few moments later, Ms. Seymour, the drama teacher and director of the play, ordered for silence. She handed out a copy of the script to everyone.  
  
The play is about a girl who goes to camp for the summer. She's shy and quiet, and never really quite fits in anywhere. Anyways, the story goes on with her meeting this girl, and they become good friends. And of course, there's this guy whom every girl is absolutely nuts over. As we get further on, she falls in love with this guy. This creates some conflict between her and the girl who's madly obsessed with him. It's basically your typical romance/tragedy play. 

Ms. Seymour called us up one by one to read parts of the script. She called out a name I'd never heard before, Takaishi Takeru. Obviously the new kid. There were a lot of murmurs in the crowd as he went up. He read out one of the scenes with Sherri. I don't know why she was even there. It was probably because he was. Anyways, at the end of the scene, he was told to stay up. Ms. Seymour had liked what she heard. I had to say though, he wasn't that bad at it.  
  
"Yagami Hikari", was the next name called. It was my turn. I was told to read the lines of Natalie, the girl who goes to the camp. He was the guy. We did the scene. She told me to stay. I ran a few more scenes as a few different characters. After the audition, I went to my locker to pack up.   


"Hi", someone said. I tuned, and looked up. I noticed that it was the new guy, Takeru. I wasn't sure what he was here talking to me, but I guess it doesn't matter.

"Hi", I replied, putting on the best smile that I could. I generally didn't like guys like him, they were all the same; arrogant, air-headed and really just a pretty face.

"You were really good out there" he complimented. 

I blinked a moment. I was not expecting that. My smile returned.

"Thanks, you too." 

He smiled, then he turned and left.

I stood there for a moment, not quite sure what had just happened.

~*~

Wake up at 6:30, get out of bed at 7:00, leave at 8:00. That's my morning, not too exciting. I was on my way to school, and Miyako caught up with me. That's pretty routine as well. Daisuke usually joins too. 

The three of us walked to the school. I have to admit I was pretty excited about whether or not I got the part. We approached the main lobby, where the lists were posted. 

I laughed a little as I found the name of Sakura. Sakura got the part of the snob girl, which I thought was rather funny. I scrolled down the list, and surprisingly, found my name. I looked over, and, I got the part of the main character! Just to check, I looked to see who was playing Ronnie, the guy I was supposed to fall in love with in the play. It was, as I guessed, the new guy. I didn't have anything against him, or for him for that matter, he was just another guy to me. Oh well. I noticed that I got a few evil glares from some of the girls as I passed.  
  
"Hey, Kari!", I heard behind me. I didn't turn around. I knew who is was. I waited for her to catch up. 

"So, you got the part, I see." Sakura said. 

"Yup", I replied. 

"You know, you're gonna have to kiss him in the play." She stated, eyes full of worry. I sighed. 

"Please, Sakura. First of all, it's called acting. Second of all, why does everyone worry so much about me? I can handle it." 

"I know", she said, "but I just don't want to see you hurt." I gave her a reassuring smile. 

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Like I sad before, it's just acting. Anyways, gotta get to class. See you at rehearsal."  
  
We parted ways. The day was pretty routine, 3 classes in the morning, lunch, three more classes in the afternoon. 

Finally, after what had seemed to be forever, school was over. The first rehearsal for the cast was today. I had to get to the auditorium. I walked in, and sat beside Sakura. Everyone was here. 

Ms. Seymour called us up in groups, and we did a basic run of the play. We didn't do any blocking or acting, we just read lines. This was so we got a basic feel of the play. After, I just went home. I noticed that Daisuke was still at school. I think he had soccer practise.  
  
~*In the hall, 3rd person POV*~  
  
Takeru walked out of the theatre, and headed down the hall. He bumped into Daisuke. They knew each other from a few classes. 

"Hey" Daisuke greeted. Takeru nodded. He turned around, and saw Kari. He had taken a liking to her. She was quiet, and wasn't like any of the other girls around. He also noticed that she was pretty good looking. 

Daisuke saw that he seemed to notice Hikari a little more than the other girls. 

"Don't get your hopes up on her", he told him. 

Takeru turned, and gave him a confused look, "Why?" 

"'Cause she isn't interested." He replied 

Takeru became slightly angry at this, "And how would you know?" 

"Because she's a good friend of mine, and she gave up on that stuff a long time ago." 

Takeru's expression became that of confusion again. "What do you mean?" 

Daisuke sighed, "I've no right to tell you that. If you want the story, get it from her. I'm warning you though, it's a touchy subject, and asking her about it definitely won't make her like you more. Anyways, I have to go. Nice talking to ya!" With that, Daisuke left.  
  
Takeru stood, wondering what might have happen, and if what he said was true. He'd seen the two of them together, but was he just trying to get her himself? Oh well, he'll just have to wait and see.  
  
~*Kari's POV*~  
  
I got home, and flopped on the couch. My brother, Taichi, or Tai as most people called him, wasn't home yet. Neither were my parents. 

I looked around for the converter. It's a miracle I found it in less that 5 minutes. I sat back down, and flicked on the T.V. As usual, nothing was on except soaps, and news. Boring. I flicked it off. I decided to go on the computer, to see if maybe someone was on. 

I sighed, there was no one there. Darn, why is everything so boring? I looked at my bag. Ugh, may as well. I picked it up, and dragged it into my room. I sat at my desk, and started my homework. Still bored, I glanced out the window, and watched the people as they walked by, buzzing in and out of stores. This is the way any student spends there time when it involves school. I noticed some advertisements by the shops, and they only reminded me of my past. It was almost Valentine's day. I went over, and closed the blinds. I couldn't bear to look at them anymore.

Calmer of the Storm: Okay, so how was that? I've put the first two chapters in one, to make it slightly longer. I'm going to add more to the story itself, so ya. I hope it's better than before…if not, then, my efforts are for nothing. PLEASE review and tell me what you think, and no cheating! Don't look back on the old one! (it's not the greatest, either.)


	2. Hikari's Story

Calmer of the Storm: Hey! I'm glad you guys like it! I really hope it's better than before…I really liked the idea, I just don't think that I did a very good job of it the first time…but here it is again!

I'd also like to thank these people for being the first 7 ppl to review!

****

Cherri88, nekosohojo, Lone Wolf Chick, Animesweetdream, miaow227, claire1308, and flipstahhz!!! Thank you soo much!

__

"Hikari?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I-I love you too…"

I woke up with a start as my alarm went off. I mechanically smacked the snooze button, and just lay in bed. I started thinking, about many things. I was thinking about the play, the new kid, and…my dream. I remember that dream so well, though I never liked how it stuck out so vividly in my mind. 

Frustrated, I glanced at the clock, 6:15. I had half an hour before I had to leave, and forty-five minutes to get to the school. 

I got, or rather, rolled out of bed, and headed to the shower. I don't usually take them in the morning, but today it was necessary. I hate early morning play rehearsals. Every Monday and Thursday…not fun. But, it's all worth it in the end I guess.

I got out of the shower, and got dressed. I glanced in the mirror, and decided against make-up. I didn't need it-my eyes were dark enough…

I took another quick glance at the clock, 6:30. I had fifteen minutes. I quickly brushed my hair, stuck a clip in it, and made breakfast.

I rushed, and got out the door at quarter to. I closed the door quietly, as not to wake anyone. I sighed, and looked at the scene around me. It was so dark at this time, so dark and gloomy. I hate the dark, I always have and I have a feeling that I always will. It's not that I'm afraid of it; it's just that it's so dreary. And nothing happy ever happens in the dark, at least, not in any of my experiences.

Deciding not to waste any more time, I headed to the school. It was a fifteen minute walk, and I was a fast walker. A precisely five to seven, I entered the front doors. 

Quickly, I ran to my locker, and dumped my stuff in. There was no one in this hall in particular, and it was kind of nice. They are usually so crowded and noisy. Two things that I myself am not too fond of. 

I closed my locker, and slammed my body up against it, in order to get my lock through. That's usually an interesting task. After, I raced down to the auditorium. Fortunately, I wasn't the last one there. The last one usually had to do clean up or something. 

I found Sakura, and sat beside her. 

In the play, there were actually a lot of people. There were extras, and even a few people singing songs; for the effect, I guess. Though, there were only about ten to fifteen in the main cast. 

We all quieted down as Ms. Seymour began to speak.  
  
"Okay, today we're going to so something different. Instead of just running through the play like we always do, you're going to find someone you share a fair amount of lines with, and run through them. Try a little blocking on your own too, to get into the feel of things." Ms. Seymour informed us. 

I really wanted to work with Sakura, as she was the 'snob' we always got a few laughs out of it, though we never really got anything done. However, as we stood to leave, Ms. Seymour stopped us.

"Hikari, I'd like you to work with Takeru. You two share the most dialogue together, and you never seem to be practicing with each other. I'd like for you two to start."  
  
I slowly nodded my head, and Sakura shot a sympathetic look at me. I walked over to where the blonde boy was standing. It's not that I had a problem with it, it's just that I'd rather be with a friend than some guy that I barley know.   
  
I nodded a greeting to him, and we walked off into the little theatre. 

"Which scene do you want to do?" He asked me when we got there.   
  
"Hmm....I'm not sure. Why don't we do the meeting scene? I guess it makes sense to start at the beginning."  


He seemed to think about it a moment, then shrugged. "Sure, why not"  
So, we ran through the scene. I have to admit, it wasn't half bad. He was a good person to work with. He didn't pry into my personal business, though I could tell he knew that something was up with me. 

Soon, time ran out, and we went to class. I didn't share any classed with him that morning, so I didn't see him. 

Classes dragged on, as they usually do. Finally, the lunch bell rang. I went down to my locker, which was in the basement. Sakura would meet me there. 

I stopped and stared angrily at my locker door. I even almost burst into tears. Someone, I can only guess who, stuck a flyer for the Valentine's dance on Friday. This was no accident, it was intended. I ripped it off, crumpled it, and threw it out. That's when Sakura joined me.  
  
"What was that?" She asked me, curious.  
  
"Oh, it was....nothing." I replied. Unfortunatley for me, she knew me well and figured it out.  
  
She sighed, "Look Kari, I'm really worried. Especially because of-"  


I cut her off, "I know, I know. I'm fine." I think it was a little too forceful, as she didn't mention it again.  
  
~*~

The next few days were uneventful, except for the fact it was almost Valentine's Day, which was on the Friday, by the way. 

Everyone was excited for it, and as I walked through the halls of my school, I could hear the chatter about it all. The girls were all giddy about who was going with them to the dance, but the guys were all 'too cool' to show any emotions. I could see through it though; they were excited in their own ways.

My mind began to drift, as I remembered the times when I was one of the girls chatting non-stop about my date for the dance. It's too bad that I never even made it there…

~*~

I decided not to go to school on Friday, and nobody questioned that. Everyone knew, and they didn't want me to feel any worse. I just couldn't face it; all the 'lovey-dovey' stuff that goes on. Yeah, I guess if you're part of it, it's all fun and games, but when you finally lose the game, it's not so fun anymore. Besides, it had only been a year, and I knew I wouldn't get any grief from anyone for not showing up. 

That night, I went for a walk in the park. It was a cloudy night, just like it was that same night just over a year before then. I must have looked like somewhat of a freak, as I was wandering the park in a zombie-like fashion, and I was alone. This was a big deal, as it _was, _after all, Valentine's Day. But that didn't matter. 

Memories flooded my head as I walked. I was oblivious to everything around me, and wouldn't have noticed if you came up in front of me and started jumping and waving frantically in my face. I guess that's why I didn't notice that a certain blonde boy was following me.  
  
I wandered down to the small pond, and just sat by its edge. I gazed into the murky water, though there really wasn't much to see. I could see my reflection, though it's not like I could see every detail on my face. 

I sat there a while, lost in a deep state of thought, still oblivious to the things around me. It was not until I drifted back to reality, that I noticed another face in the water. This knocked me right back into my senses, and I shot around.

There, behind me, was that new kid, Takeru. I was rather shocked that he was there, and almost disgusted that he had followed me. What was worse, was that he stood there, leaning on a tree, looking at me as if he had done nothing wrong.

"You weren't at school today" he stated as-a-matter-of-factly.   
  
I had forgotten that he didn't know, and was silent for a moment. I then came up with the worst comeback in the history of humankind. "Ya, so?"  
  
"I don't know, you don't look sick to me." he said.  
  
"I just decided not to go, okay?!" I said icily. 

He put up his arms defensively, "Hey, I was just wondering, that's all."

I glared at him. Then something occurred to me. He wasn't at the dance. This fact confused me, as he seemed to have hit it off well with the female population of Odaiba High. I couldn't think of any legitimate reason that would prevent him from going.

"Why aren't you at the dance?", I asked. I think this came out in a way that one would think that I did not want them around, because he looked slightly hurt, though he said nor did anything about it.

"I just didn't feel like going." 

I didn't have to ask my next question, as I'm sure it was written all over my face.

"I can't stand those kinds of things. Throbbing music, people who think they can dance but really can't, and the occasional drunk. Not my idea of the perfect night." he responded,

I thought about that a moment. I can't say that I've ever looked at it that way before, and I could see that he had a point. 

"Why are you so secluded?" he asked.

"Why are you so nosey?" I shot back.

He shrugged his shoulders, and backed off. "I was just askin'. There's no harm in that. Besides, everyone is so hush-hush about you and whatever happened, and I feel kind of left out." he paused a moment, and stared out across the pond. "I've always been told that it's good to talk about your problems, and not shut them away." 

There was a silence between us, me thinking about what he had said, and him thinking about who-knows-what. I kind of liked having someone here to talk with, because he seemed understanding. There was only one other person who had been like that, and he was gone. Once again, I was broken from my chance at the sight of movement. He was leaving.

"People just don't know what it's like; they don't understand." I said, though I didn't turn around.

I heard him stop, though he didn't come back just yet. 

"And you don't want to bother them, or have anyone butt into your business. You don't want to feel the pain and the hurt anymore; you think that if you forget about it and ignore it, it'll just go away."

I turned around, and probably gaped at him. It seemed he _did _know what was going on. He had his back turned to me, though I saw him peer over his shoulder at me. I quickly diverted my gaze.

"So you've heard rumours." I mused.

He turned fully, and walked over to me. 

"Well, that's part of it, but I've just been watching you, and I put two and two together. I really have no clue what's been going on; I can just guess."

"So you've been watching me." this was more of an accusation than anything else.

"I have many classed with you, and I see you almost everyday in play rehearsal. Not to mention your locker is near mine. It's hard not to watch you."

I guess he had a point there. 

Takeru sat himself beside me. "So, you gonna say anything, or are you just going to keep hiding your whole life?"

I sighed. He seemed innocent enough, and there was a part of me that _did _want to tell him; though other part was saying to run. I didn't want to get attached to anyone; because only bad things happen to the people I care about. I didn't want to relive the pain and the memories. I didn't want to go through it again. Once through Hell is quite more than enough for me. I did not want to experience it another time. 

~*~Takeru's P.O.V~*~

I waited for a little, and watched her. She seemed to be thinking, and debating in her mind whether or not she wanted to tell me anything. I guess I really didn't have a reason for asking, except maybe curiosity. I realized that she had every right not to tell me anything. The rumours I heard were, I assumed, just that. Some of them sounded pretty far fetched, and I had a hard time believing them.

She sighed, "I'm sure you've heard many things, but I guess the best way to find out the truth is from me."

I was surprised, but didn't say anything. It seemed like she was actually going to tell me something.

I could tell that she really didn't want to say anything. I could see the pain on her face as she relived the past. This only made me even more curious. 

"I was in love with this guy", she started. She was gazing out across the water.

To me it sounded like your average teenage love/angst story. The kind that everyone knows how it's going to end up. Still, I listened.

She continued. "His name was Lance. He was probably the sweetest guy I've ever met. I'm not won over that easily, and even more so now."

I saw a flash of sadness cross her face. Obviously it had been hard on her. 

"I don't know what he saw in me, but I guess it was something. We hadn't been dating long, but I knew that I loved him, and that he loved me. The last thing on my mind was that he would break up with me."

Yep, I knew where this was going. Still, I've learned (the hard way) never to interrupt a girl when she's spilling the depths of her soul.

"It was Valentine's Day that day too, last year to be exact. Lance was going to bring me to the dance. I was so excited. I had been to dances, but never actually gone with a guy before. 

"Of course, I spent half the night trying to make myself look perfect for him. I'm not usually like that, but there's something about this time of year that brings out a change in everyone. I was just fixing my hair when the phone rang."

I noticed that a tear had started to form in her eye. I could tell that she was doing her best to hold them back. I tried my best not to look bored, for I've heard these stories too many times, and they all turned out the same. The girl meets boy, and falls in love. Boy leaves girl, and breaks girl's heart. I guess deep down she was just like all the other girls. Emotional, and not able to get over things quickly. 

She gathered herself, and went on. "It was my brother who had picked up the phone. He called my name, and I immediately dropped what I was doing. I had an idea of who it was on the phone. I greeted with a cheerful voice, thinking it was Lance telling me that he'd be over in a few minutes", more tears spilled from her eyes, "I couldn't have been more wrong."

Here comes the break up part, I thought.

"It was from Lance's house, but it wasn't him. Actually, it was his father. What he said crushed me. He said that Lance was on his way over, to pick me up. He was coming early, because he wanted to surprise me. His car hit a patch of ice, and he lost control of it. The car swerved, and he hit a post. He died on impact."

My mouth hung open in shock. This was definitely _not _what I had been expecting. I had heard many things, but I guess I just never stuck around long enough to hear the end of the rumours. 

Now I understood why this time of year was hard for her. It's not easy losing someone you love. 

I tried to comfort her, "Hikari, I'm so sorry."

Finally, the dam broke. She leaned into me, another thing I had not been expecting. Out of impulse, I wrapped my arms around her and just hugged her.

We stood there a moment, the only sound being her broken sobs.

I stroked her head. "You know, you can't dwell on this forever. I know it's hard, but you've got to move on. Everything's gonna be alright", I told her.

She immediately pulled away from me. There was a look of anger and betrayal in her eyes. I then wished I hadn't said that.

"You just don't get it, do you? It was all my fault! If I hadn't forced him to take me to the stupid dance, the one he didn't really even want to go to in the first place, he'd still be alive!" she yelled.

I tried to reason with her, " Hikari, please calm down. You had no control over it, it wasn't your fault. I know how you feel. It's hard to lose someone you love. But you've got to move on…"

~*~Hikari's P.O.V.~*~

I stared at him with disbelief for a moment. How could some guy that barley even knew me, tell me how to live my life? He didn't know how I felt, then and about Lance. He didn't lose the one person that he cared about most in his life. 

At that point, I exploded at him. "How can you say something like that? How would you know how it feels to have the world come crashing down upon you?"  



	3. Takeru's Story

Calmer of the Storm: Hey! I'm back!

Cody: No really…

Calmer of the Storm: *ignores Cody* Sorry It's taken so long…but there's so much to be done! Ugh! I think homework should be illegal…I swear, it's a federal offence… Anyways, thanks SOOOOOOOOO much to you guys who've reviewed. I love you! Really!

Cody: And for that, you'll never get another one…

Calmer of the Storm: *shoves Cody in closet and locks the door* Hehe…here's the next chapter!

My last words seem to have hurt him, because after I said this, he became suddenly quiet and looked at the ground. I was confused, and suddenly the anger that had built up inside of me disappeared. I had never seen anyone so broken before, or maybe I have, but I've just been too swallowed in my own grief to notice. 

There was a moment of silence between us, until he finally said something.  
  
"My mother died six months ago."  
  
I could have fallen dead there on the spot. It took me a while until I noticed that my mouth was hanging agape. I had a sudden, and horrible, revelation. I'd been so mean to him, so selfish and conceded. Come to think of it, that's all I'd been for the past year. I had ignored my friends, and dwelled on the things of the past. No wonder people started drifting farther and farther away from me…it's because I was _pushing _them away. 

This realisation only made me sob harder. I couldn't face him, I couldn't face anything anymore. So, I did the first thing that came to mind, I bolted. I ran as far and as fast as I could, which isn't really all that fast. With tears streaming down my face, I blindly ran across the park. 

I ended up at the far side, where the cliff over looks the bay. I just stared out over the water, not caring what the people thought of me…I've done that for too long. All I hoped was that Takeru hated me at the moment, and he didn't want to talk to me. I sat, or rather, collapsed, to the ground and hugged my knees to my chest. I rested my forehead on them, still sniffling.

To my dismay, he _did _follow me once again. I could hear his footsteps stop just beside me.

I took one last sniffle, and decided that the best I could do was suck it up and hear him out. I was tired of being selfish. I finally gathered enough courage to turn my head ever so slightly, just so I could see him out of the corner of my eye. The blonde- haired boy was standing beside me. He wasn't looking in my direction, but he was also looking out across the water. He seemed to be lost in thought. There was more awkward silence. 

"It's a nice night tonight", he commented.  
  
I was confused by his sudden change in topics, but accepted it gratefully. "Yeah…" came my weak reply.  
  
Yet another moment of awkward silence followed. He wasn't saying anything, and I had no clue what to say.

I wanted to know what he was thinking. He was probably mad at me, and was just covering it up. From being around him so often, I concluded that he was the quiet type. Not the silent kind of quiet, but quiet in a sense that he didn't talk about himself much, and really only spoke when he felt he needed to. Actually, he _never _talked about himself. He was always concerned about others, and never complained. 

"I-I'm sorry for the way I acted…I can be a bit of a jerk sometimes…", I managed to come up with. It was a lousy excuse, but I really had no other way to put it.  
  
"Don't feel bad, it's alright." He told me.

I only felt worse because he was so kind about it. I find things better to deal with when they blow up in your face. It's oddly easier that way.

"So, what...what happened?" I ventured. I wasn't sure how he would react to this, but I figured I was already on his bad list, and it wouldn't hurt my relationship (if that's what you want to call it) with him if I said anything more.  
  
He was silent a moment before he said anything. I regretted saying anything 

"She had cancer, and it took it's toll on her. We knew it was coming, so it wasn't really a surprise to us." Takeru explained.  
  
He seemed rather calm about telling me this, and I wondered why. I don't think that I would have been so calm.

"What was she like?" I asked, though I caught myself for that one. I hated when people asked me about Lance, and figured he'd be that same way.

Again, I was wrong.  
  
Takeru looked at me and smiled. This surprised me.

"She was the best. I couldn't have asked for a better Mom. Really sweet, but she was a little over protective. I didn't mind it too much though. My parents were divorced, and I lived with her. I have an older brother, too. We lived in Tokyo, while my father and my brother lived here. When she died, I moved here with them. I was allowed to finish the semester before I switched schools."  
  
I nodded. I finally turned my head to look at him, though he had turned back out over the bay. There was a light smile on his face.

As I was watching him, I noticed something I hadn't before. He looked different. For the first time, I saw him as all the other girls did. My eyes widened as I realized what I was thinking. I quickly turned away, and hoped he hadn't noticed the red tinge to my cheeks. Luckily, he hadn't.   
  
He sighed, and sat down beside me.

It was a nice night that night. There was a gentle breeze, and the sky was clear. The only noise was waves crashing on the rocks below. We sat there for a few minutes, not saying anything. I found myself feeling the way I vowed I never would again. He was right, I needed to move on.  
  
"Well, I'd better go", he said, breaking the silence. "I can walk you home if you want."  
  
I smiled a small smile, "Sure."  
  
With that, we walked home. He knew where I lived, because sometimes we would practice together. As we got to the apartment, I turned to leave.  
  
"Ready for tomorrow?" he asked  
  
I smiled, "Yeah, I guess."

He nodded. "See you then!"

"Yeah…" I said, as I watched him go. I must have stood there for a while, because it took my brother pulling me in the house to bring me from my trance.

That night, I laid in bed, thinking. I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. 

I sighed. My life had been fine until _he _came along. I had my emotions all straitened out, and I knew that I never really wanted to get involved with anyone, in a romantic sense, at least for a long while. 

But now, this boy came charging into my life, and screwed it all up! He made me feel things towards him that I never wanted to feel again. They weren't bad feelings, but I guess after Lance, I became afraid. I became afraid of getting too close to someone, because I didn't want to lose them. I didn't want to suffer through that pain again. That's why I had vowed to not let myself fall for anyone again. Now, it seemed that that vow was on the verge of being broken.

Maybe, I thought, that I should forget what I had said, and let this guy into my life. But then, what if he didn't want to be there? That thought had never occurred to me before. Maybe he was this nice to everyone, I didn't know.

I was pulled from my thoughts as my brother entered the room. I saw his huge mass of hair poke thought the door, and his big, goofy trademark grin on his face. 

"G'night," he said.

I could only smile back and respond. "Goodnight, Taichi." 

Without another word, he pulled out of my room, and left. 

Soon, I found myself in a deep sleep.  
  


Calmer of the Storm: Sorry if that seems relatively short…but I had to stop it there! The next chapter will be the last one…so ya. Please review! =)


	4. The Play

Calmer of the Storm: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Cody: *mumbles to self*

Calmer of the Storm: I'm sorry Cody, I didn't hear that.

Cody: Good, you weren't supposed to.

Calmer of the Storm: Oh……hey! I can evict you from my stories you know!

Cody: That's fine; I'm not in any of them. Now get on with the fic!

Calmer of the Storm: Alright, fine, I'm going…. This will be the last chapter of this fic…sad, yes I know, but I've got an idea for an epilogue, if you guys want it. I'll only write it if you want me to!

I also have another story idea…it's a takari, (no duh) and it isn't AU, though it seems to be. The DD's are transported back in time to the time of….Robin Hood! Ahahahaha! They have to get out, or die! Eheh….yeah, I know it's stupid, it sounds better in my head! So, tell me what you think of that one…it would be a HUGE help. Thanks!

I woke up the next morning, or should I say, afternoon, at 12:30. It was a Saturday, so there really wasn't that much to do anyways. My brother was still asleep…he never got up before at lease two. 

The play started at six, but the cast members had to be there at four-thirty. This was to get everything ready, make-up, costumes, props, that sort of thing. 

Placing a bagel in the toaster, I proceeded to get the cream cheese. When it popped, I lazily spread the cream cheese over it, and placed myself on the couch in front of the television. Channel surfing time.

~*~

The day proceeded much like that, until I found that the 4:15 mark had come up far too quickly. I have to say that I was nervous, but I tried not to think about it. Tai was supposed to drive me over, but he had disappeared during the afternoon (when he actually woke up). My suspicion was that he was with Sora. 

I glanced at the clock. Twenty after four. I sighed. Walking wouldn't kill me, but it was raining and there were no umbrella's left. Locking my apartment door, I decided that a little rain water never killed anyone. At least, not to my knowledge. 

Just as I entered the foyer, there was Tai, and just as I thought, he was with Sora. As soon as he saw me, he smiled. 

"What? Did you think I'd actually forget you?" he said.

I only smiled, and shook my head.

"He was just too lazy to go up there and get you." Sora added. He punched her playfully in the arm. 

"I thought so." I replied.

"Alright, alright, enough talk. We'd better get going." Tai said, then turned to go outside. The car was just out front, so we didn't get wet.

During the car ride, a certain blonde boy plagued my thoughts. He was more of a parasite than anything else, I thought. He just kept popping up everywhere I went, and was beginning to invade my thoughts and dreams. Although, I had to admit, it could have been worse…

Taichi pulled me from my thoughts as we stopped at the front doors of the school. Actually, he didn't have to say anything; it was his inability to stop the car properly. Sometimes I wonder why I even let him drive me places.

I said goodbye to the pair, although I don't think they were too sad to see me go. They'd come in later, as would my parents. 

Turning around, I entered the school.

The cast of the play had all gathered in a room backstage. It was our temporary greenroom (1). There were about ten to fifteen people in the main cast, though not all of them had major speaking parts. 

You could feel the excitement in the air as the actors chattered and ran around the room. I mean literally running around the room. I think this was a combination of nerves and excitement. 

Ms. Seymour came in, and by the look on her face, I assumed that she was appalled by the way we were acting…no pun intended. She gave us 'the talk', and we were all paraded into the make-up room.

My costume was simple; just a pair of jeans and a blouse. They pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail, and plastered my face with make-up, so that I wouldn't look like a ghost on stage. I had to stifle a laugh as I watched the boys (Takeru in particular) go through the same treatment. It's not everyday that you get to watch a guy suffer through the pains of eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. 

I had to admit, the play was going to be pretty good. We actually had good actors this year, and everyone stayed committed, unlike other years. 

Poor Ms. Seymour was going nuts trying to get everything together. We ran through the play once, then placed out props. The play wasn't terribly long, but it also wasn't all that short. 

I was back in the greenroom, when Sakura came up behind me.  
  
"Ready?" She asked me.  
  
"Sure am!" I replied.  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Not just about the play itself, but about, you know..."  
  
I looked up at her "What?" 

Sakura gave me a look, and I figured out what she meant.

"It'll be fine, really." I replied.  
  
"Hikari…"She persisted.  
  
"I'm serious! It's just acting. It won't ruin my life in any way" If anything, it'll make it better…My eyes widened at the thought, how could I even think those things! Although, Sakura caught this.

"What's that look for?" she asked

"N-nothing, I just remembered something."  
  
She finally gave in when she realized that I wasn't going to elaborate. "Alright, if you say so..."  
  
"I do, now go. I have to finish here, and I'm sure you're not done either." I shoved her over back to her stuff. At this point, both of us broke out in giggles. 

Max, one of the A.V. crew members, came in and informed us that we could be heard throughout the auditorium. That just made us laugh harder.  
  
~*~

It finally came time to start the play. I wasn't in the opening scene, which I was thankful for. I took one small peek out onto the crowd. There sure were a lot of people. I noticed my mother and my father, along with my brother and Sora. Takeru later came along and pointed out his father and brother, Yamato. It was amazing, the resemblance between those two. They both had that strikingly blonde hair (which, I might add, is _extremely _rare in these parts), and those beautiful blue…Again, I caught myself. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face none other than, yeah you guessed it, Takeru! I smiled politely to him, and kept walking. I could feel my cheeks flushing out, and I'm sure they were a very deep red.  
  
They play proceeded, with almost no problems. We weren't professionals, so you can expect us to make mistakes. At one point, someone came into early, but that was easily covered. However, someone forgot to place one of the props, and it was an important one. A member of the stage crew had to run out and hand it to Sakura, who was the one that needed it. The audience got a good laugh out of that one.

Other than those two slip-ups, everything was fine. We were drawing close to the final scene, and the closer it got, the less and less I wanted it to come. 

The scene finally came. I dreaded it, yet waited for it to happen. Takeru and I had tried to 'practice' this part, but I always shied away when it actually came time, with an expert excuse, I might add. 

This scene not only made me nervous, but everyone else as well. They all knew my story, (most of them did) and if they didn't they knew something at least, and they knew how awkward it would be for me. 

We were never allowed to kiss during rehearsal, only during performance or on our own time. I didn't mind this one bit.

Before I knew it, I was saying my lines. It was different, and I couldn't put my finger on it. The whole mood between us was different, and I didn't know why. Well, it came. He wrapped his arms around me, lifted my chin, and gently placed his lips on mine. I kept telling myself it was only acting, but I somehow couldn't bring myself to believe it. The curtains closed, end of act 3. One more act to go. He broke it off as the curtains fully closed. I felt my cheeks flood with red, and I couldn't look at him.  
  
~*~  
  
After the performance, I went out back to get some air. It was just as nice out as the night before. I stood alone; at least, I was until he came up behind me.  
  
"You did real well." He commented.  
  
"Ya, you too." I told him. A thick silence hung in the air, and it wasn't a pleasant one. I hadn't felt this way in a while, the feeling that you want to say something, but it'll come out stupid. He felt it too, I could tell.

Then next thing I knew, he had his arm around me. My first reaction was to slap him and run, but I didn't. In fact, I didn't do anything. Next, he did what I feared. He turned me so that I was facing him, and lifted my head so that I had to look him right in the eye. I hated doing that. My face started to burn; I could feel it. As I stared into his sapphire eyes, I got lost in a fantasy. I felt my face drawing closer to his, but I resisted. He saw the look in my eyes, I'm guessing, and didn't press me any further. That was one thing about Lance I could have survived without; he always pushed things too far.   


Instead of him doing what I wanted him, yet feared he would, he let go of me, and backed away. There was a smile on his face, and I couldn't help but smile back. I had mixed emotions at the moment. Part of me wanted to collapse into his arms, and kiss him, and the other part wanted me to stay and watch from afar. 

But there was one thing I knew for sure. For the first time in this past year, I felt truly happy. 

"So, do you think that maybe we could, uh…"

I knew what he was doing, but I wanted him to suffer through it.

He swallowed hard, "Uh, are you busy tomorrow night? 'Cause I was just wondering if uh, you see, there's this movie, and I uh…"

I laughed. I couldn't put him through any more torture. He grinned at me sheepishly. 

"I'd love to go with you." I replied.

His eyes lit up, and I swear he would have jumped six feet in the air, if he were not holding himself back.

He cleared his throat, "Alright then…I'll uh, call you."

I smiled, then placed my hand in his. We walked the rest of the way home in silence, although this time, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

  
I learned something through all this. Maybe love isn't all that bad, maybe just because you've had a bad experience, doesn't mean it all bad. I'm sure that this can be applied to many things in life, not just this.  
  
~*END*~  



End file.
